SBA’s Michigan District Office is now accepting nominations for its 2019 Small Business Awards. Winners will be honored at the Michigan Celebrates Small Business event in May 8, 2019 (https://www.michigancelebrates.biz/). The Michigan Small Business Person of the Year and the Michigan Exporter of the Year will be in contention for national awards.
To nominate a business, submit a preliminary one page nomination letter by December 18, 2018 to Michigan@sba.gov, following Steps A and B, and briefly address the criteria for each award. Your nomination will be reviewed for eligibility and you will be notified if the nomination merits further consideration in the form of a complete nomination package. Preliminary nomination letters that do not address A, B and C will be disqualified.
A. Individuals who have received one type of SBA assistance such as, but not limited to an SBA loan, SCORE counseling, Small Business Development Center (SBDC) assistance, Women’s Business Center (WBC) assistance, Veteran’s Business Outreach Center (VBOC) assistance, government contracting assistance, disaster assistance, Emerging Leaders Initiative, or Boots to Business training.
B. Indicate the company’s size to ensure that it meets SBA Size Standards. Click here for more information on SBA size standards.
C. Include the following information in the one page nomination letter that contains the following required information no later than December 18, 2018.
- Number of employees in the company.
- Annual sales in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
- North American Industrial Classification code: Click here to find your NAIC code.
- A brief paragraph that addresses some of the criteria for the award.
The following criteria should be your guide for the one page nomination, and the subsequent nomination packages. Email one page nomination letter to Michigan@sba.gov.
If you have questions, please call Hodari Brown at 313.324.3629 or e-mail Michigan@sba.gov.
Criteria for each Award
Small Business Person of the Year: For developing an outstanding, growing business; innovative product(s), increasing jobs, increasing sales, overcoming adversity, and community contributions. The applicant for this award should be the highest ranking officer of the company. Criteria include:
- Staying power – a substantiated history as an established business
- Growth in number of employees
- Increase in sales and/or unit volume
- Financial summary of the current and last 3 years (Number of employees, Total Sales, Net Profit (before tax), Total Assets, Total Liabilities and Net Worth)
- Innovativeness of product or service
- Response to adversity
- Contributions to aid community-oriented projects
Small Business Exporter of the Year: Significantly increased export sales and profits, encouraging other firms to export, increased jobs through exports, and innovative methods of creating markets. The applicant for this award should be the highest ranking officer of the company. Criteria include:
- Increased sales, profits and/or growth of employment because of exporting
- Financial summary of the current and last 3 years (Number of employees, Total Sales, Net Profit (before tax), Total Assets, Total Liabilities and Net Worth)
- Creative overseas marketing strategies, with description of products & markets served
- Effective solutions to export-related problems
- Encouraged other small businesses to export
- Introduction of unique trading companies
- Volunteer assistance to other small businesses entering the export market
Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year: A business owned by a member of the military community including Veterans, Service-disabled veterans, Active-Duty Service Members eligible for the military’s Transition Assistance Program, reservists and National Guard members. The applicant for this award should be the highest ranking officer of the company. Criteria include:
- Financial Summary of the current and last 3 years (Number of employees, Total Sales, Net Profit (before tax), Total Assets, Total Liabilities and Net Worth)
- Increased employment opportunities for members of the military community
- Demonstrated potential necessary for long-term business success and economic growth
- Voluntary efforts to strengthen veteran owned businesses within the community
Women Owned Small Business: Small business owned by 51% by a woman or women with outstanding growth, innovative product(s), increasing jobs, increasing sales, overcoming adversity, and community contributions. The applicant for this award should be the highest ranking officer of the company. Criteria include:
- Financial summary of the current and last 3 years (Number of employees, Total Sales, Net Profit (before tax) Total Assets, Total Liabilities and Net Worth)
- Increased employment opportunities
- Development and utilization of innovative or creative business methods
- Demonstrated entrepreneurial potential for long-term success
SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Owner will not reach 30th birthday by June 1, 2019, three-year evidence of success in sales and profits, increased jobs, innovative products, demonstrated potential. The applicant for this award should be the highest ranking officer of the company. Criteria include:
- Financial summary of the current and last 3 years (Number of employees, Total Sales, Net Profit (before tax) Total Assets, Total Liabilities and Net Worth)
- Increased employment opportunities
- Development and utilization of innovative or creative business methods
- Demonstrated entrepreneurial potential for long-term success
SBA MDO District Director Award: Nominees may or may not be small business owners but must be an individual who is a champion for small businesses and entrepreneurs through a broad range of advocacy efforts and actions that created positive credible results for the small business community such as but not limited to:
- Increasing the usefulness and availability of accounting or financial services for small businesses.
- Experiencing the rewards and difficulties of owning a home-based business and volunteering to improve the climate for these businesses.
- Fulfilling a commitment to support the advancement of small business opportunities for minority business owners.
- Efforts to improve as well as increase business and financial opportunities for women.
- Improving the advancement of small business opportunities for veterans or spouses of veterans of the U.S. armed forces.
- Obtaining successful support within the rural community for the establishment of small businesses.
- Supporting and advocating for legislative or regulatory action designed to help small businesses.
- Improving awareness of small business opportunities.